The NOW/COMP Planning List: What Georgia Families Can Do While They Wait

For many Georgia families, the moment a loved one is found eligible for developmental disability services comes with mixed news. The good news: they qualify. The harder news: they have been placed on the planning list, and nobody can say exactly when a waiver slot will open.

If that is where your family is right now, you are far from alone. Thousands of Georgians are on the same list. But the waiting period does not have to be time lost. This guide explains how the NOW/COMP planning list works and the practical steps you can take today to protect your loved one's place, strengthen their case, and find support in the meantime.

What the Planning List Is

The NOW and COMP waivers are Medicaid programs, administered by the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD), that pay for services helping people with intellectual and developmental disabilities live at home and in their communities. Because funding is limited, the state cannot enroll everyone who qualifies at once.

The planning list is how DBHDD keeps track of people who have been found pre-eligible but are not yet funded. To reach the list, a person generally must:

• Be eligible for Medicaid (or able to become eligible)
• Have an intellectual disability that began before age 18, or a related developmental disability such as autism, cerebral palsy, or epilepsy that began before age 22
• Show significant limitations in intellectual or adaptive functioning
• Need the level of care an intermediate care facility would provide

Applications go through the Georgia Collaborative ASO's online IDD Connects portal (the fastest route) or your DBHDD regional field office. A DBHDD psychologist reviews the application, and pre-eligible applicants are added to the planning list. A final eligibility review happens later, when funding becomes available.

How Prioritization Works

One of the most common misunderstandings about the planning list is that it works like a line, where the person who has waited longest goes next. It does not.

In DBHDD's own words, priority "is based on the level of need such as health, safety, and caregiver support, not time on the list."

DBHDD looks at two broad areas when deciding who receives funding:

1. Health and safety. Medical needs, behavioral challenges, risk of injury, and anything that puts the person's wellbeing at risk.
2. Caregiver and support system. The age and health of the people providing care, whether they are able to keep doing it, and what other help is available.

People facing an emergency, such as the death or serious illness of a primary caregiver, risk of homelessness, abuse or neglect, or a major medical or behavioral crisis, may be considered for crisis funding outside the normal process.

Why this matters for your family

Because funding follows need, the information DBHDD has on file is everything. If your loved one's situation has changed since the original application and nobody has told DBHDD, the record may understate how urgent their needs really are.

Five Things You Can Do While You Wait

1. Keep the record current

Contact your regional field office whenever something significant changes. Examples include:

• A new diagnosis, hospitalization, or surgery
• New or escalating behaviors, wandering, or injuries
• A caregiver's illness, job loss, aging, or move
• Aging out of school services
• A change in living situation

Ask how the change will be reflected in your loved one's planning list information, and write down the date and the name of the person you spoke with.

2. Build a simple care file

Keep one folder, paper or digital, with:

• Psychological evaluations and school records (including the IEP)
• Medical records, medication lists, and hospital discharge summaries
• Social Security, Medicaid, and proof-of-citizenship documents
• A short daily log of care needs: how many hours of help, what kind, and what happens when help is not there

That log is powerful. "He needs a lot of help" is hard to measure. "He needs hands-on help with bathing, dressing, and meals, and someone awake overnight because of seizures" tells a clear story.

3. Ask about state-funded and community supports

DBHDD's regional field offices can refer families on the planning list to state-funded services and community resources while they wait. These are not as broad as a waiver, but they can include things like family support or respite help. Ask directly: "What state-funded supports is my loved one eligible for right now?"

4. Use the programs your loved one may already qualify for

NOW and COMP are considered a "payor of last resort." That means other programs should be used first, and some of them may meet real needs today:

• Children with complex medical needs may qualify for skilled in-home nursing through the Georgia Pediatric Program (GAPP), which serves medically fragile children under 21.
• Adults with physical disabilities or traumatic brain injuries may be served by the Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP).
• Older adults with disabilities may be served through the Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program (EDWP).
• School-age children are entitled to special education and related services through their school district.

Being on the NOW/COMP planning list does not stop you from using these programs. In many cases, they are exactly what bridges the gap.

5. Take care of the caregiver

Waiting is exhausting, especially when you are already providing round-the-clock care. Connect with parent networks, local disability advocacy groups, and caregiver support resources. Your own health is part of your loved one's support system, and DBHDD considers it that way too.

When the Slot Opens

When funding becomes available, a final eligibility review is completed and the person moves into planning. A support coordinator or planning list administrator works with the family to build an Individual Service Plan that names services, goals, and providers. This is when choosing an experienced, trustworthy provider matters most.

At Heart and Soul Healthcare, we provide NOW/COMP services to Georgians with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and we are glad to talk with families at any stage, including those still on the planning list. We can help you understand what services might look like when funding comes through, and point you toward programs that may help in the meantime.